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UK-EU agreement could save horticulture £60m a year in trade costs
A planned UK-EU agreement to ease trade in plants, food and animals could remove £60m a year in costs for Britain’s horticulture industry. Environment secretary Angela Eagle said reducing border checks and paperwork should make importing and exporting more predictable, though it will not repay businesses for money already spent adapting to post-Brexit controls.
The agreement is due to be signed at a UK-EU summit on 20 November and is not expected to take effect until the first quarter of 2028. The Horticultural Trades Association’s estimate includes inspection, certification, port, staffing and haulage costs, but excludes losses from delays or damaged goods. Kent nursery Provender Nurseries has spent at least £500,000 on an inspection facility that may become obsolete; its managing director welcomed the deal but said businesses need to see the detail.
In short
- Horticulture trade costs could fall by £60m a year.
- The agreement is not expected to take effect until early 2028.
- A Kent nursery has spent £500,000 on a facility that may become obsolete.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “UK-EU deal will ‘dissolve’ £60m a year of costs for plant trade, says Angela Eagle”.